Need new phone + Q's!

I am in need of a new phone but the ones I like aren't sold by Sprint (my provider). I have read that you can buy any phone and if it's unlocked, it will work with your provider. I don't know how true this is, but if so....
How do I unlock phones, or know if they're unlocked?
Will sprint activated the phone, or will I have to do something to get it working (how and what)?

Add anything else I need to know. I know nothing about any of this, I just want a new phone and it probably won't be a 'sprint' phone. So how do I pick and get it working?

I am in need of a new phone but the ones I like aren't sold by Sprint (my provider). I have read that you can buy any phone and if it's unlocked, it will work with your provider. I don't know how true this is, but if so....
How do I unlock phones, or know if they're unlocked?
Will sprint activated the phone, or will I have to do something to get it working (how and what)?

Add anything else I need to know. I know nothing about any of this, I just want a new phone and it probably won't be a 'sprint' phone. So how do I pick and get it working?

Click to expand...

Ok, how's this. First off, a phone has to be intentified on your carriers network to work. They keep these ID's that can work on file.

an 'unlocked' phone is a GSM phone. What it means is you can use another GSM carrier's removable SIM card in your phone. A SIM card identifies your phone on the network.

Sprint (and Verizon) isn't a GSM carrier. It's a CDMA network. They identify your phone by an internal, unchanging serial number. Because you can't change the phone's ID, you can't take it to another carrier from which it was intended.

There's other stuff involved such as Band, how the different technologies talk to the phone, etc but what it all means is you cannot use another carrier's phone on Sprint's network. Not that I can see why you'd want another carrier's phone anyway.

PS: I mention this cause I'm a Sprint sackrider, the storm chasers for the hurricane center are using Sprint wireless data cards in the field. Still working in the middle of the storm.

Thanks Vega. Sprint just doesn't have a great selection of phones, or any that I really like. So what that all means is I can't use any phones besides Sprint supported phones, correct?
Well anyways, any links to all of the phones that sprint supports then?

Thanks Vega. Sprint just doesn't have a great selection of phones, or any that I really like. So what that all means is I can't use any phones besides Sprint supported phones, correct?
Well anyways, any links to all of the phones that sprint supports then?